Banks… Just Another (Necessary) Evil?

Banks. What more could be said about banks? I guess I’m just too stupid to understand how they actually needed this bailout. Every bank I’ve personally dealt with in the last 5 years has left me feeling like a victim, like I should have to thank them for my business. Like I must pay them to use my money, pay them to not use my money, pay them to use their cards, pay them to get their cards, pay them, pay them, pay them? Not to mention the fees small stores and other companies are charged for taking their cards every time one is slid through the machine.

Before I start to sound like just another idiot ranting about the money our elected twits have doled out to banks, let me give you some background here. I’m not going to name names, there’s really no point since I assume that all banks screw people all the time, like they seem to have to do to me.

Sorry, but to make this bad play on words work, I’ve got to name one, US Bank. I use to have an account there but as I quickly learned, those are not initials but just a two letter word… Its “Us” Bank, not yours, mine or anybody else’s. Between the hidden fees, overdraught charges because of those fees, and telling me after the fact “that cash is not posted until the check you deposited with it is posted…” I spent more of my hard earned cash with them than through them. I love it when the employees smile that nice F-you grin and tell you how you screwed up and it will cost you,again. Don’t you? Long story short, I closed that account before they got me the fifth time. What can I say? Sometimes, it takes my blonde head a little longer than it should to pay attention…

The bank I have an account with now set me up with a “direct deposit” account. I didn’t want to get this account, but when I took a job as a telemarketer (Yes… running my hole on the phone for the betterment of my empty pockets) back in January, the company made me open that account just to get paid (I still doubt the legality of that). After a couple weeks of not being able to ram sales down their victims’ collective throats, I left the job but still had the account. In their fine print (they were kind enough to show me, smiling “nicely” of course), I am liable for fees after one period(?) of no direct deposits. Last I looked, it was up to $112(!) minus the huge 15 cents I left in it. Cool, huh? I talked to the third person today about this and she will be looking into changing the setup of the account and possibly dismissing those fees and overdraught charges. Possibly… What a word… I bet they have secret banking classes just to teach them how to tell us to “pay up or get f-ed more” in such politically correct words of pacification. I’m to report to the branch tomorrow. We’ll see…

Guess what? I like this bank! Instead of costing me more hardly-earned cash that I don’t have… They killed those charges AND (after some very simple paperwork) changed my mess into a regular FREE (gotta love that word!) checking account. This time I asked her if there were any fees on this new one before it starts costing me. (I’m learning, ok?) She replied with a firm handshake and “None.” We’ll see… ;D

Either I was having too much fun whining or just getting lost in a rant, but back to my main idea here, ok?